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Some restaurants are so beautiful that they elevate your mood simply by stepping through the door. In movie terms, a restaurant is kind of a combination of cinematography and set design. Now lots of restaurants are pleasant — even beautiful — but to me at least, a few stand out.

Here are five that I think are the most striking in San Francisco. Please feel free to add your own thoughts.

The Chronicle 2002

Tented walls and ceilings give a classic, romantic feel to Fleur de Lys

Fleur de Lys: The dining room was tented more than 30 years ago by famed designer Michael Taylor. Even though the hundreds of yards of fabric have been changed several times since then, the tented environment, in my opinion, makes this San Francisco’s most romantic restaurant.

The Chronicle 2002

Curved walls and dramatic lighting make Aqua relevant today

Aqua: It’s 19 years old and the future is up in the air, but the curved walls, high ceiling and dramatic lighting make it a place that looks as good today as it did when it first opened.

The Chronicle 2009

The elegant Quince is like a restaurant within a restaurant

Quince: I loved this space as Myth, but architect Olle Lundberg pulled off a coup by basically plopping a dining room down in the middle of the space. That leaves room for a bar on one side, a lounge at the entrance, a kitchen that’s now enclosed, and more dining and a wine cellar in the rear.

The Chronicle 2004

Aquamarine and neutral colors play off impressive columns and arched windows at Michael Mina

Michael Mina: Barbara Barry is one of my favorite designers, and she’s created an understated and elegant place amid the huge columns and arched windows that define the space. Cream and aquamarine colors are soothing. As you sit at the oversized tables, the lush details unfold.

The Chronicle 2009

It’s modern and industrial, and the train station theme adds a touch of whimsy to RN74

RN74: Designed by AvroKO designs from New York, this restaurant, which opened in April, uses an industrial train station theme; it could be like Las Vegas but the designers wove the elements together in such a way that it feels modern and fun — the train board that flashes wines, the metal struts over the dining room, the old train lanterns that form a partition between the entrance and the lounge, and the numbers on each wood table that replicate what you might find on a train seat all add to the industrial-chic theme.